My Great Grandmother’s Chair

I don’t remember exactly how I ended up with it. I am 99% sure it was in the attic of the family farmhouse when we moved into it when I was 14.

It was in pretty rough shape then and that was 1986.

But I immediately fell in love with it. My great grandmother on my mother’s side always sat in a rocker and always had a bit of crocheting in a basket next to her. Although I knew this belonged to my father’s side of the family and I remembered almost nothing about the woman who most likely used it, I wanted it.

Sidenote: the only thing I remember about my father’s grandmother is that she ate donuts with a fork.

I mean, look how pretty it is. I pulled it out of the attic of that old farmhouse and stuck it in my bedroom and used it.

I didn’t care much about the old varish or the wear and tear.

I loved it.

The seat is worn out. It has the old horsehair cushion. Can you believe that? Horsehair. Oh the stories this chair could tell.

This old chair moved with me three times. To my first apartment. .. to my first house….

And then I moved in with LB in her tiny apartment and big dog and it went into the basement of the house. And then LB and I bought a house together and got another big dog… and there wasn’t really room for my chair. And that was totally fine. It was a choice I made…. and I put it in the attic.

Now that we no longer have any dogs, there is room for my chair. It’s bittersweet.

I really wanted to get someone to look at it to take care of it in case the joints were weak.. or something. So I brought it to a local refinisher. I can’t wait to see how it turns out.